How many tee shirts can one person own from vacation spots they've visited over the years, right? I mean... at one point I owned more tees than there were days of summer! So what's a girl to do? Switch gears and start collecting
pressed pennies! They're fun to collect, they don't take up much room (
a whole lot less than a shirt!), and they only cost 51¢. But then I had a box full of squished pennies... so now what?
Well, I decided to show off my souvenir savvy by creating a fun and whimsical bracelet with many of the pennies I had collected over the years. It was great choosing which ones to use because they all had special memories and I got to re-live each trip as I sifted through them.
And since I am a collector of "things" I had lots of goodies to use as charms including vintage Cracker Jack toys, beads, brass stampings, findings and so on. I love my new bracelet and I'm on to collecting more pressed pennies for the next one... that's the other fun part!
Want to find out more about collecting squished pennies? Check out the
Penny Collector Website. Want to know where all the penny machines are? Check out
this list, divided by state and country.
What a brilliant idea! I have tons of those from my kids souvenir drawers. Is it really heavy though?
ReplyDeletehugs
trish
Hey Trish! Surprisingly enough, it's not that heavy. However... here's my super-secret extra credit add-on bonus for you. Sometimes, I'll make a short chain with a ring at one end and clasp at the other and use it to turn the bracelet into a necklace! Just use the clasp and the ring of the bracelet to hook it onto the extra chain, and voila!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic idea! Hubby and I have been collecting squished pennies for years, and I love this idea. Did you seal the pennies, or just leave them au natural?
ReplyDeleteIf you still have all those t-shirts you might consider having some of your favorites made into a quilt. A race buddy of mine did that with some of her marathon shirts... ;)
Hi Michelle. Your blog is so creative and smart. I found your blog through your post on the ReStore Coastal Habitat site. Where is your store in Ocean Grove? Looking forward to seeing more of your creations. Cheers and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHey BPlot! (I read you in the Coaster) Thanks for stopping by. I don't actually have a physical store in OG, but I do have some items in retail stores throughout Monmouth County. I sell mostly at craft shows and my online Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/YesterdaysTrashArt
ReplyDeleteAnd Melody... to answer your questions... no, I didn't seal the pennies (I'm au natural), and I DO have a box of old tee shirts and was planning on making them into a quilt one day! So very funny you mentioned that!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle ~
ReplyDeleteJust a note to let you know that I’ve nominated you for a Versatile Blog Award. Here’s a link to my blog post that talks about it:
http://laurejanus.blogspot.com/2012/02/versatile-blog-award.html
There’s also a link to the Versatile Award site that explains the premise behind the award. I picked your blog because I always leave with something I didn’t have before, whether it’s inspiration, validation, information, or a smile. Sometimes all of the above! I always read your posts regardless of how many posts I have in my reader or how tired I may be. Thanks for your contribution to the blog world, your words make a difference to me and many others, I’m sure. You’re welcome to choose your own favorite blogs to award but please don’t feel obligated to do so. People are busy and this isn’t meant to be one more thing to add to the to-do list. Just know that your blog brightens my day!
Cheers ~
Laure Janus
Chaos and Art